Brief Biographical Note of Justice David Watt

  • Received B.A. (French and Criminology) from University of Waterloo, 1967; LL.B. from Queen's University Law School, 1970 (Silver Medallist)
  • Honorary LL.D from the Law Society of Upper Canada, 2005
  • Called to the Bar in 1972; appointed Queen's Counsel, 1982
  • 1972 – 1977 Counsel, then Deputy Director, Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions Branch; 1977-1985 Senior Crown Counsel (Criminal Law) with the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario – Responsible for argument of criminal appeals before the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada
  • Appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ontario (now the Superior Court of Justice) in 1985 – Presided primarily over homicide and other complex criminal cases; authored the Court's Criminal Proceedings Rules; authored the Ontario Specimen Jury Instructions (Criminal)
  • Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon
  • Judge, Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada
  • Adjunct Professor of Law, Dalhousie Law School, 2006-2007; Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, 1985-2005; Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, 1990-1993 – Courses in Criminal Procedure, Advanced Criminal Law, Advanced Evidence, Trial Practice, and Appellate Remedies
  • Section Head, Criminal Procedure Section, Bar Admission Course (Ontario), 1982-1990
  • Faculty Member, Federation of Law Societies' National Criminal Law Program 1972 to date; (Chair, 1985-2004; Honorary Chair, 2004 to date)
  • Associate Director, National Judicial Institute, 2001 to date
  • Participant in Continuing Legal Education Programs in every province and territory in Canada including programs for Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice; Canadian Bar Association; Law Society of Upper Canada; Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, Nova Scotia Barristers Society
  • Harrison Tweed Award from American Law Institute – American Bar Association for special merit in Continuing Legal Education, 1998
  • Adjunct Faculty Distinguished Service Award, Osgoode Hall Law, School 2004
  • Author of Tremeear's Annotated Criminal Code (Carswell); Watt's Manual of Criminal Evidence (Carswell); Watt's Manual of Criminal Jury Instructions (Carswell); Helping Jurors Understand (Carswell); Criminal Law Precedents, (Carswell)
  • President and Chairman of the coa-parkedrd of Directors; Ontario Hockey Federation, 1991-1997
  • Director, Canadian Hockey Association, 1991-1997
  • Appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, October 12, 2007

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